New Member: Purdue University Joins Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative

The Purdue University Energy Center in Discovery Park announced today its affiliate membership in Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative (SGCC). Since its founding in March 2010, SGCC has attracted many member organizations to listen, educate and collaborate for modernized, intelligent electrical systems.

Professor Meghan Norris of the Consumer Science Department in the College of Health and Human Sciences at Purdue University

“Purdue University is committed to responsible, multidisciplinary research in energy,” said Dr. Meghan Norris, an assistant professor of consumer sciences who leads the Purdue SGCC effort. “Not only is Purdue a leader in energy technology, but also an emerging leader in consumer adoption of smart grid technologies. Our Department of Consumer Science focuses on empowered consumer decision-making, which aligns strongly with the mission of the SGCC. We are excited to collaborate with the SGCC to conduct and share trustworthy research in the area of consumer smart grid adoption.”

Purdue joins a balanced membership of stakeholders that includes leaders from the business community, utilities, regulators and advocacy groups. SGCC activities include funding independent research on consumer smart grid issues, providing forums for members to share and self-educate and collaborating to develop industry best practices.

Norris, who holds a doctoral degree in social and personality psychology from Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada, conducts research in the areas of attitudes, persuasion and social influence. Her current research is exploring the use of eye tracking in attitude research.

About the Purdue Energy Center
The Energy Center was officially launched in August 2005 with $2.5 million in startup funds made available through a grant from The Lilly Endowment for expanding Discovery Park. Currently, more than 150 faculty and staff members, representing nine colleges, are actively engaged in Energy Center activities. Focus areas are: Transportation (Bioenergy, Hydrogen, Advanced Ground-Vehicle Power, Battery and Energy Storage); Power Generation (Solar, Wind, Coal and Nuclear), Energy Efficiency (Smart-Grid, Smart-Buildings and Thermoelectric) and Policy, Education and Outreach (Electric Vehicles, EcoCar and Energy Academy). For more information, visit their website here.